Method of electric welding



March 23, 1954 N. E. ANDERSON METHOD OF ELECTRIC WELDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 30, 1948 INVENTOR I NELSON E. ANDERSON March 23, 1954 N E ANDERSON 2,673,278

METHOD OF ELECTRIC WELDING Original Filed July 30, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TIME DELAY WE G CIRCUIT MAC E BREAKER I 0 INVENTOR NELSON E. ANDERSON MAM ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 23, 1954 METHOD OF ELECTRIC WELDING Nelson E. Anderson, Berkeley Heights, N. J., as-

signor to Air Reduction Company, Incorporated, a corporation of New York Original application July 30, 1948, Serial No.

41,257, now Patent No. 2,586,140, dated February 19, 1952. Divided and this application June "7, 1951, Serial No. 230,335

. The portion of the term of the patent subsequent to February 19, 1969, has been disclaimed 2 Claims. 1

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 41,527, filed July 30, 1948, now Patent No. 2,586,140.

This invention relates to electric welding and more particularly to a method of welding and apparatus therefor.

Electric welding is widely used for many purposes, but the methods and apparatus in use have certain limitations. Among these are the diiiiculties encountered in spot welding, which has been accomplished heretofore only by resistance welding methods. The electric arc method, that is the application of an arc struck between the workpiece and an electrode, has not been adapted heretofore for joining metals by spot welding.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of spot welding metals in an economical and practical manner.

Another object of the invention is the provision of arc welding employing D. C. current, in which the operation is started by touching the workpiece with the electrode and immediatelyjwithdrawing the electrode to strike the arc.

. A further object of the invention is the provision of a convenient and easil handled apparatus for applying the electric arc in spot welding metals. f

' Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for spot welding in which the electrode and workpiece are shielded by an inert gas to prevent oxidation and other defects in the welds. I

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through an apparatus adapted for the practice 01 the invention;

, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3--3 of Fi 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective illustrating the trigger mechanism of the apparatus; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of the apparatus in use.

The invention is applicable primarily to the spot welding of sheet metal to secure the sheets to. each other. In the operation 01 the method,

the parts to be joined are first assembled and clamped in proper position. The electrode, preferably a non-consuming electrode such as tungsten or the like, is then brought into contact with one face of the workpiece and is im mediately withdrawn to establish an are which is maintained for a sufficient period to ensure suitable penetration and the melting of the metal of the parts to be joined so that a weld is formed. The are is then broken, and the electrode is moved to a point at some distance from the original weld, where the operation is repeated. As many spot welds may be made as is necessary to secure the parts together. In accordance with the invention, an inert gas such as helium, argon or the like is supplied continuously to surround the electrode and blanket the weld, thereby preventing the entrance of oxygen and nitrogen of the atmosphere and ensuring the production of a sound weld at each point where the arc is struck with the workpiece. The method of operation is illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing, in which 5 indicates a welding gun which is connected by a conductor 6 to a time dela circuit breaker 'l. The latter device forms no part of the present invention and is merely a safety device to prevent the maintenance of the are for excessive periods. The device 'I is connected by a conductor 8 to a welding machine 9 which may be a D. C. welding generator. The other pole of the generator is connected by a conductor [0 to the workpiece H which, as illustrated, consists of two sheets or plates which are to be joined by spot welding.

The welding gun 5 consists of a barrel i2 and a pistol grip [3 which may be made of plastic, vulcanized rubber, or other suitable material. Within the barrel [2, a tube I4 is slidably disposed in a sleeve 15 which is also movable longitudinally in the barrel, being mounted in a ring l6 which is secured in the barrel. A spring H is disposed between the ring [6 and a flange l8 on the sleeve I 5 and. normally biases the sleeve rearwardly in the barrel. A weaker spring I 9 is disposed between the end of the sleeve l5 and a knob 20 on the end of the tube [4.

At its forward end, the tube I4 is enlarged at 2!, and the enlarged end is split to afford four fingers which are adapted to grip the electrode 22. The enlarged end 2| is provided with a con ical surface 23 which engages a similar surface on the end of a collar 24 which is secured to the sleeve 15. The enlarged end 2|, in co-operation with the collar 24, affords a chuck adapted to grip the electrode 22. To release the electrode for adjustment, it is necessary merely to push the knob 20 inwardly against the tension of the spring I9. This releases the gripping fingers, which are normally held in the position indicated in Fig. 1 by the spring I 9. A sleeve 25, secured within the barrel I2, ensures alignment of the collar 24 and permits slidingmcvement of the collar and the sleeve [5.

At the end of the barrel 12, a collar 26, threaded internally and externally, is mounted on the barrel. A nozzle 21, having a flange 28, is secured to the end of the barrel by a nut 29 which engages the threads of the collar 26. The nozzle 21 is made of suitable metal adapted to withstand the heat of the arc and is provided at its end with slots 39 which permitthe inert gas, supplied as hereinafter described; to. spread laterally about the are formed between the electrode 22 and the workpiece ll, thus ensuring maximum shielding and protection of the weld.

A trigger-3| is pivotally mounted at 32 on the barrel and operates in a recess provided for that purpose in the pistol grip i3. An arm 33 is connected to the trigger3l and movable therewith. A latching member 34 is pivotally connected to the arm 33 at 35. A spring 36 is securedto the latch member 34 at 31 and to a pin 38,so that the latch-member is normally held in'the position indicated in Fig. 1, in engagement with the flange !8 on the sleevel5. When the trigger 3| is pulled inwardly, the shoulder 39 on the latch member is moved forwardly, carrying the sleeve I with it, and the electrode 22 is thus projected through the opening in the end of the nozzle 21 to engage the workpiece II. This closes the circuit, with the result that current flows through a conductor in a coil 40, connected in series with the electrode holder and disposed in a magnetic frame 4| forming a-solenoid. As soon as the current flows, the armature 42,having apin43 engaging the latch member "34, is drawn downwardly, thus releasing the flange [8. Thereupon the sleeve I5 is moved rearwardly by the spring 11 and the arcis established'between the electrode'22 and the workpiece. The end of the nozzle 21 is held against the workpiece until the weld is completed. It isthen withdrawn and the operation is repeated to produce the next weld.

A. recess 44 is provided in the butt of the pistol grip '13 to receive aflexible cable45 which is secured to. a connecting fitting 46. The cable is preferably ofthe type illustrated and described in the application of Anderson and Sullivan, Ser. No. 182,898 filed April 29, 1947, for Electric Cable for Welding Equipment, now Patent No. 2,535,187. It consists of flexible tubes 41 and 48, preferably twisted and surrounded by a braided conductor 49, which carries the current. The conductor is in turn surrounded by a sleeve 5flof suitable material such'as rubber or flexible plastic, whichis secured to' the fitting 46 by a clamp 5|. The tubing 48 carries the inert gas which is delivered from the fitting 46 through flexible tubin 5| to a tube -52 which extends through the collar 24 into the chamber 59 which surrounds'theelectrode 22. The gas is thus delivered to the space surrounding the arc in order to maintain the desired shielding effect.

Water is-delivered through the tube41 and is 4 carried from the fitting 46 through tubing 54 to a pipe 55 and thence through a water-tight connection 56 to a pipe 51 leading to a cooling chamber 58 in the nozzle 21. The chamber 58 is closed by a ferrule 59. The water returns through a pipe 60 to the water-tight connection 56, thence through a flexible tube .Gl .to..a..tube 62, which 1 delivers the water to a space 63 inthe collar 24 which is closed by a ferrule 64. The water returns through a pipe 65 and flexible tube 66, and flows through the casing 50 about the braided conductor 49, thus cooling the cable.

Current is supplied through the braided conductor 49 tothefltting 46 to which a wire 61 is connected. Thewire 61 passes through the flexible tube 65 to the collar 24 and thence to the electrode 22. As already indicated, the wire 61 is disposed withinthe coil 40, thus ensuring release. of the latch "34 as soon as the electrode 22 touches the workpiece.

The .apparatusasdescribed affords an extremely handy mechanism for conducting the welding operation. The operator, grasping the pistol grip l 3, places the end of the nozzle against the workpiece and operates the trigger 3| to advance the electrode-22. As soon as the electrode 22 touches the work, it is released and returned by the sprin l1 so as to provide agap and the production of the welding arc. In one-half to two seconds, the arc penetrates the workpieceand securely welds the parts thereof together at the point where the arc is. formed. A series of such arcsproduced atspaced points along .the workpiece completes the welding operation. Meanwhile, the shielding gas eliminatestheeffect of the atmosphere on the weld. The circulating cooling water maintains the tip 21 and the collar,24,at arelatively'low temperature, thereby electrode being biased in a direction away from said work, the steps whichcomprlse placing the gas discharge end ofsaid nozzlein contactwith said workpiece so that it substantially surrounds a selected spot on the surface of saidworkpiece,

flowing a shielding gas through said nozzle onto said surface spotto exclude air therefrom advancing saidelectrode against said biasing force into electrical contact with said surface spot to initiate the flow of anarc'welding currentflbetween said electrodeand said workpiece, releasing said-electrode in response to the initiationof' flow of said welding current to enable said biasing force to retract sai'delectrode from said-surface spot to create a gas shielded weldingarc within said nozzle between said electrode and said workpiece, and. terminating the flow of said arc welding current to extinguish said arc at theend' of a selectedtime intervalfollowing initiation of said are.

2. A method according to claim 1, for spot welding aplurality of workpieces together,=wherein a portion of oneofsaid workpieees is super- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Bernardos May 17, 1887 Nelson Feb. 27, 1940 Crecca Apr. 6, 1943 Herbst May 3, 1949 Pilia Apr. 24, 1951 

